Ken Hildebrandt has announced that he has submitted all the necessary paperwork to run as a write-in candidate in Virginia's 5th District for the US House of Representatives this upcoming November 08, 2016 election. Ken was previously on the ballot for Virginia’s 5th district of the US House of Representatives in 2012 and was joined by his wife Elaine who ran in the 6th district in 2014. The couple made history as the first husband and wife to run for US congressional seats in Virginia and to the best of his knowledge only the second in US history, the first being Sony Bono’s widow and her new husband she met while serving in congress. Hildebrandt stated that he and his wife went for “double or nothing” as far as both getting on the ballots anew in 2016, only to find out that Elaine missed by a mere 22 and Ken by just 42 of the 1000 validated signatures required. “With over 1900 valid signatures between the two of us gathered, we obtained nearly 2/5 of the number of signatures required to get on the ballot for the presidency,” he added. “That means talking to an awful lot of people,” he said, “especially when running as complete independents in which the people signing oftentimes knew nothing about us until one of us spoke with them, which was usually Elaine who’s been told she’s one of the best signature gatherers people in that line of work who’ve worked nationwide claimed they have ever encountered.” While Elaine was off getting signatures Ken took care of the large family of 13 dogs, 10 cats and 5 turtles the couple have rescued since moving from Manhattan in 2004. “We came here with 2 dogs,” he said, adding that “We couldn’t just let them die.”

Hildebrandt says that one of the primary issues he's been bringing to the table since 2012 is industrial hemp, which would help farmers not only in his district, but throughout the country, claiming that it would be "the economic boost that this district and this nation needs now." He said that when he first ran this subject was seen as “out there,” but he and his wife have helped bring awareness to the issue in Virginia to such as extent that a recent hemp bill passed 98-0 in the state. Ken often cites the February 1938 issue of Popular Mechanics (of which he often carries a copy with him on the campaign trail) referring to hemp as the "NEW BILLION-DOLLAR CROP,” and points out that in Virginia it was once illegal for farmers NOT to grow hemp before the nation was founded. Ken says this is not the only huge issue he’s bringing to the table, but he’s also completely against the Drug War. He cites that since this war has escalated there have been horrible consequences few seem to realize. He cites that in the 1960s when stats were first compiled 90% of homicides in the US were solved whereas now it’s about 64%, meaning it used to be that one in ten got away with murder, but now it’s over one of three! Ken says that by simple deductive reasoning we should expect to have more real criminals at large amongst us of every kind because of this waste of resources in chasing and apprehending people for things as silly as Earth given plant possession. Hildebrandt says that it’s obvious most people realize that drug use, though in most cases may not be smart to do, is not a real crime or Obama wouldn’t have been elected. “If Obama had admitted to mugging or raping someone but didn’t get caught he surely would not have been elected as president. So, the people know deep down, no victim - no crime,” he states. Not only that, but Ken claims the worst drugs are legal, nicotine and alcohol and that no drug is linked to any other or leads to any other and that such talk is nonsense. He claims that being locked up in a cage leads to other things. There’s no doubt about that. Hildebrandt wants people to realize we have a choice before us, to continue apprehending people in violation of their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness at the expense of having more pedophiles, rapists and murderers, or to stop this ongoing waste of resources. Ken says even law enforcement are against this war in increasing numbers and invites people to look up the Mission Statement of the organization Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), who are dedicated to help relieve the increasing strain between police and the general population they are paid to serve and protect, becoming the people’s friend, not their enemy. Ken was a chiropractic physician who practiced claims free in NJ from 1987 to 2000, when he gave up his practice after realizing how much of his patient's pain was coming from Washington as he struggled to help people get better one by one. From 2000 until the present Ken’s worked free of charge as an independent web journalist and was among the pioneers of online political video in early 2001, long before YouTube. He has interviewed presidential, gubernatorial, senatorial and congressional candidates, and has had numerous video discussions with the world's most cited living author, Professor Noam Chomsky of MIT. Ken and his wife Elaine moved to Southside, Virginia just after the election in 2004. Hildebrandt encourages everyone to check out his websites, WriteinKen.com and Facebook.com/electkenforcongress, to find out more regarding his campaign, which, he says, he's in to win. "I know I can win this race if enough take the time to compare what I have vs. the others, even though I’m a write-in with a name that’s hard to remember, pronounce and spell,” Hildebrandt states. Ken hopes to meet his opponents in at least one televised debate. He says that if he gets to debate on TV fairly just once he’ll win the election, in spite of the obstacles. Hildebrandt says he’s been saying the same thing since first running in 2012 but has yet to get that opportunity. Hildebrandt argues that the people of Virginia’s 5th district deserve to see him in the debates because the US allows write-in candidates, unlike most other counties, but this privilege is all but meaningless if said candidates are hidden. He stresses that his running is not about him but rather about those he wants to represent. If there was someone, anyone, else running he could support with a clear conscience, he would. He’d prefer to stay living in rural Southside, Virginia, but is tired of having nothing but people who sell out to the highest bidder winning congressional seats in lieu of people who will actually stand up for them and feels it would be nothing less than immoral if he didn’t try to win this election considering all that’s at stake. Hildebrandt says if he’s elected he’ll be but one person of 435 in there who will be standing for the people, but he says that will be one more than we have now. Ken’s recently authored a book entitled INFORMolution, covering his findings on elections, the Drug War, inequality and a host of other highly impacting issues.